Member Articles

Nanny vs. daycare and beyond

Large group, small group: Sorting through your childcare options

As you can see, it's a complex and multi-faceted issue. But rather than be intimidated, you can take comfort in the range of your options. There is no "best" way to raise a child. There is no such thing as perfection. What you can do is gather your facts, know your needs and priorities, and make the very best decision you can with the information and resources available to you.

Hi, I am a mom of 3 and a family daycare provider for 28 years. I disagree with something you said......
Cons:

1.) No outside monitoring (varies by jurisdiction). This puts the onus on the parents.

I AM STATE LICENSED AND VERY CAREFULLY MONITERED BY MY LICENSING. MASSACHUSETTS IS ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED IN THE COUNTRY. I HAVE THE STATE POPPING IN ON ME ALL THE TIME

2.) Fewer children. Less opportunity for social interactions. If your child doesn't get along with the one other child in care, you have a problem!
NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. I FIND THAT MY DAYCARE KIDS HAVE FORMED FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST LONG BEYOND DAYCARE. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM CHILD WE DEAL WITH THE CHILD AND PARENTS. WE NEVER LET A SITUATION AFFECT THE OTHER CHILDREN IN OUR CARE. WE WILL GIVE NOTICE TO A PROBLEM CHILD IF NEDDED. AND WITH INTERGRATED AGE GROUPS THE CHILDREN LEARN MORE ABOUT SOCIAL INTERACTION. JUST LIKE A FAMILY!

3.) Training. Is "the nice lady down the street" going to provide the same quality care as the trained professionals at the center? Evaluating her expertise is harder without that piece of paper.
I AM HIGHLY TRAINED. THE STATE REQUIRES IT TO BE LICENSED. I ATTEND SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, COLLEGE LEVEL CLASSES, FIRST AID AND CPR.

4.) No back-up. When caregiver takes time off or gets sick, she rarely provides back-up.
DAYCARES HAVE BACK UP. THEY HAVE TO. ITS THEIR BUSINESS AND THEY NEED TO BE REPUTABLE AND DEPENDABLE. AT LEAST I AM.

5.) May not have contract. How will conflicts or misunderstandings be resolved?
EVERY DAYCARE PROVIDER I HAVE EVER KNOWN HAS A CONTRACT.

Hello, Emma! Glad to see you're still around. Have you received my network request yet? I'd love to have you in mine: makes for interesting conversation when people have differing perspectives. Though I don't think ours are all THAT different, really, just enough to make it interesting!

I must have said that wrong. We don't have to have an ECE, just early childhood education hours. Washington State requires 20 hours the first year and 10 hours each year after. If you want to be acredited, you need your ECE.
As far as the law goes...I think it is a pretty good idea. I have known 2 gals that started up a daycare but didn't want to get licensed. They both didn't care about the kids just the money. They got lots of kids because they would charge less. They took in way too many kids, and they weren't being cared for properly. I actually called the state on one of them. They were nice girls to the parents...just not the kids. Some parents just don't care, as long as it is cheap. The U.S. is pretty messed up that way.

Emma - " 'The lady next door' is against the law now." That makes me sigh a little. It's a shame, isn't it? While there is value in education, there is also value in experience and character -- which cannot be guaranteed by the right documentation. Parents should have the right to choose someone they think has the experience and character, with or without that piece of paper.

I have had communication with providers in various states, and though most of them have to take some courses, none have reported neediing to be a full-fledged ECE. Though perhaps we define "ECE" differently: where I live, the ECE course is a year or two (depending on how intensive) of full-time study. Or perhaps they just assumed the need for ECE credentials as a given, figured I would know that, and didn't feel the need to make it explicit! Now I'm curious. I will have to go ask them.

I am pretty aware of the requirements, but only in the U.S..
In the U.S. you need to have a license to care for more than one family and with the license you need the early childhood education. I didn't say 'the lady next door' had any shame attached...you said it was a con. I am just saying that in the U.S. we have just as much education as if we were working in childcare centers...therefore, over here, it is not a con. That's all.
I love the lady next door as that is what I had growing up, which made me want to be in the childcare business. It's just against the law now.

Heels - You're right on both counts: you're lucky, and it's possible! I'm glad you've found an arrangement which works so well for your family.

Florinda - thank you!

Emma - the certification requirements for home care providers varies *enormously* from one jurisdiction to the next. In some, they are well-trained and have high standards applied to them, in many others they are "the nice lady down the street." There is no shame in the latter, of course: most mothers have less experience than that "nice lady" when they start out, yet we generally all do a good job.

In the state of Washington home care providers are required to have early childhood education. I have my early childhood degree plus I attend local 'stars' (we need 10 'stars' hours every year) classes at the library and I attend the NAEYC(National Association of Education) conference every year. Sooooo, most of us are not 'the nice lady down the street'.
Good article though!

Perhaps I'm inordinately lucky, but I feel like we have the best of both worlds. My son is in a home daycare with only 5 other children (ages 10 months to 3.5 years at the moment). However, the provider is a woman who takes school preparedness very seriously. They (those who are old enough to do so) have a class time every day, and she goes to continuing education classes monthly on weekends and evenings. I suppose she is the exception, but finding dedicated people like her IS possible.